Max Verstappen Hits Championship Jackpot as McLaren Handed Double DSQ at Las Vegas GP

Max Verstappen receives a massive advantage in the championship battle as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri face a DSQ in Las Vegas.

Max Verstappen Hits Championship Jackpot as McLaren Handed Double DSQ at Las Vegas GP

Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via Getty)

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In a dramatic turn of events, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both suffer from a brutal disqualification at the Las Vegas GP. Max Verstappen walked out with a massive advantage in the championship standings following the double DSQ for McLaren.

The Dutchman certainly hit the jackpot at the gambling capital of the World in Sin City. The championship battle has now closed in on the top three, and it will be exciting to witness how the next two races pan out.

Following Max Verstappen‘s stellar race win, he was 42 points adrift of the championship lead to Lando Norris. The Dutchman reckoned that his title-winning chances were slim but definitely not none. Now the double DSQ definitely shakes things up in the title fight, and Verstappen’s point deficit is nearly halved. Verstappen is now joint-second with Oscar Piastri, with a gap of just 24 points to the forefront.

Notably, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified because of illegal plank wear in the MCL-39 challenger. The plank wear was found to be around 9mm more than the maximum allowed limit, which is significantly higher as compared to the 0.07mm plank wear for Ferraris in China which they were disqualified.

As such, Norris’ life will be made all the harder in the two final races of the 2025 season in terms of the championship battle. The two upcoming races of Qatar and Abu Dhabi, one of which is a sprint weekend, mean that there are 58 points up for grabs.

Max Verstappen is currently overachieving on the grid, and his Las Vegas GP victory will surely help him keep up with the winning momentum. The 2025 season has surely been a massive rollercoaster ride for Verstappen, as he had given up on title hopes before, but now he is one of the best contenders for the title.

McLaren refused to present to the journalists after the double disqualification

McLaren’s Andrea Stella refused to comment on the matter to the dozens of journalists waiting in the media pen. After a brief visit to the stewards, Stella was spotted being frustrated by the decisions, as the people had already come up with their predictions on the matter.

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Andrea Stella (via F1)
Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Andrea Stella (via F1)

However, he went inside the McLaren suite and refused to entertain any comments from the media. They claimed that they would release a press statement only after official confirmation by the FIA.

The press officer, Luca Colajanni, advised the journalists to leave the media pen if they wished to do so, as McLaren wasn’t going to publicly comment on the matter anytime soon. Now that the matter has been formally announced, the grid will await what the team has to say. Certainly, it isn’t a fun situation to be in for either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. Regardless, Max Verstappen will surely be one of the happiest people in the world right now.

The 2025 season driver’s title battle will now be between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen. All three drivers now seem to have an equal chance at contending for the title. However, Norris’ life is just a little easier as he has a 24-point gap to both drivers. McLaren suffered from their first point-less race this year and wouldn’t be too happy. Regardless, moments like these are the very essence of Formula 1 and make the sport all the more exciting.

Read More: Lewis Hamilton Gives “Feels Horrible” Verdict After Finishing Dead Last in the Las Vegas GP Qualifying